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Category Archives: Vickers Viking Mk.IV

The Smith brothers recently won the coveted 10,000 prize for flying from England to Australia. But the Smith brothers were not content to rest on their laurels. They planned another and a bigger venture-a round-the-world flight. For this they were going to use a Vickers amphibian called the Viking. Their old colleague Bennett was to be the mechanic. On 13 April 1922 all three were to go up on a test flight. Ross and the mechanic arrived on time. But a fog rolled down. It held up Keith, then on his way to the aerodrome. Fearing if they delayed any longer the conditions would be too bad for the flight, Ross and Bennett took off. What happened aloft no one else will ever know. But as Keith arrived on the aerodrome, it was to see the Viking hurtling down to death and destruction. So, in harness, died one of Australia’s greatest sons and his trusted mechanic.

The Vickers Viking was a single-engined amphibious aircraft designed for military use shortly after World War I.

This post was a draft written in January 2017. I was trying to figure out what were all these airplanes. Since I am not an expert on pre-WWII aircraft I had to take the time to become more knowledgeable. Now I think I am going somewhere with all this research and all the notes I had found in January starting with this picture below.

G-CYET – It crashed near Hilbre, Manitoba on the 11th of July 1927 when the fuselage failed and broke up in flight. The aircraft was destroyed.

Breaking news

Found yesterday on the Internet

July 1927 a Vickers Viking aeroplane was struck by lightning and crashed near Hilbre, Manitoba. Three airmen, A.T. Bradley, W.C. Weaver and F.H. Wrong lost their lives in the fatal crash. Debris was scattered in all directions. when the plane was struck it was travelling at an elevation of about 2,000 feet.

THINK LIGHTNING BOLT STRUCK PLANE, HURLING THREE TO DEATH.ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE AVIATORS WERE MAKING TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEY.

Winnipeg, July 12 – (AP) – Exploding in mid-air a hydroplane of the Royal Air Force burst into flames and in four separate pieces crashed to the ground near Hilbre, Man., yesterday, bringing death to three men. The dead are: Flight Officer W. C. WEAVER, pilot. A. T. HARDLEY, photographic mechanic. and F. H. WRONG, surveyor of the Topographical Survey Branch, Ottawa. Eye witnesses say the plane entered a heavy cloud bank and was lost to view. Soon there was a loud explosion and three bodies came hurtling through the air, followed by the separate pieces of the plane, afire like huge rockets. Officers of the Royal Canadian Air Force in Winnipeg today expressed the opinion that the plane had been struck by lightning. The plane was believed to have been at an altitude of almost 3,500 feet when the explosion occurred. One of the victims was found buried head first in the ground. One of the airmen had a parachute strapped on but evidently had no time to use it. The aviators were making a topographical survey of the Hilbre district.

Reno Evening Gazette – July 12, 1927, Reno, Nevada

Canadian Air Surveyors in Manitoba, 3500 Feet up,Meet with Death Bodies Hurtle from Mist to Ground before Eyes Of Startled Observers

WINNIPEG, Manitoba 11 July 1927

Exploding in mid-air a hydro airplane of the Royal Force burst into flames and in four pieces crashed to the ground near Hilbre, Manitoba yesterday, bring death to three men.The dead are: Flight Officer W. C. Weaver, pilot in charge; A.T. Bradley, photographic mechanic, and F. H. Wrong, surveyor of the topographical survey branch, Ottawa.-

EXPLODES IN CLOUD

Witnesses say the plane entered a heavy, cloud bank and was lost to view. Shortly after there was a loud explosion and three bodies came hurtling through the air followed by the pieces of the plane, afire like rockets. The flaming, gasoline tank separated from the machine. Officers of the Royal Canadian air force in Winnipeg today expressed the opinion that the plane had been struck by lightning. The accident occurred over a farm a short distance from Hilbre, which is northwest of Winnipeg on the north shore of Lake Manitoba.

FALL OF 3500 FEET

The plane was believed to have been at an altitude almost 3500 feet when the explosion occurred. One of the victims was found buried head first in the ground. Nearby another body was found and a short distance away: a third was discovered in the grass.” One of the airmen has a parachute strapped on but evidently had no time to use it. Parts of the machine were half buried in the ground and debris was scattered over wide area. The pontoons were found one hundred yards from the main portion of the plane.

WERE SURVEYORS

The aviators had taken off from Winnipegosis during the morning, a topographical survey of the Hilbre district. It came from the Lac-du-Bonnet station of the Royal Canadian Air forces, where forestry and survey planes are stationed during the summer months. It was a single engined Vickers Viking of the pusher type with the propeller at the rear of the wings. Preparations for an investigation are under way and Flight Lieut. L. T. Stevenson of headquarters staff here left tonight for the scene of the tragedy.